10-22-2019, 08:19 AM
https://www.extremetech.com/computing/30...5nm-demand
Quote:It’s good times to be in the foundry business — at least if you are TSMC. The firm has announced plans for much higher capital expenditures than it originally forecast for this year. Originally, TSMC expected to spend ~$11B on CapEx improvements for 2019. Now, the company will spend between $14-$15B after allocating another $4B in cash to increased 7nm and 5nm production.
7nm accounted for 27 percent of TSMC’s quarterly revenue, with 10nm at 2 percent and 16nm at 22 percent. Nodes at or below 16nm accounted for 51 percent of the company’s revenue, while older nodes contributed 49 percent. According to TSMC, the increased production need on 7nm and 5nm is being driven principally by 5G deployment. Capex in 2020 is expected to be in the $14-15B dollar range as well.
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6nm is a follow-on to 7nm+. Design layout rules are said to be fully compatible with 7nm+, with a further 18 percent improvement to density. No word on any other improvements, but this node uses one more EUV layer than 7nm+. Risk production in Q1 2020, volume production before the end of the year. No customer announcements for this node yet.